The story of Jesus and Nicodemus reveals the tension between faith and mystery. Nicodemus is a good, religious person but is unable to open his heart and receive the 'slantwise truth' of Jesus. The religious ruler understands Jesus’ words in a literalistic manner and can't penetrate the mysteries of spiritual birth that Jesus offers. In a similar way, we often miss out on the mysteries of the Gospel because we insist on an easy to digest religious formula rather than the layered, mysterious, faith journey that Jesus extends to his followers.
